What grows in weary lands by Trish Harrison warren
Week 8: Chapter 7 — Hope That Does Not Disappoint
Read Chapter 7 of What Grows in Weary Lands by Tish Harrison Warren. Primary Scripture: Romans 5:3–5; Romans 8:24–25.
Previewing Week 8 of What grows in weary lands
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 10-week guide when you’re ready.
Having walked through the terrain of weariness — naming it, enduring it, practicing through it — Warren now turns to the eschatological horizon that makes all of it bearable: the hope of resurrection and the coming renewal of all things.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Warren draws on Romans 5:3–5 — 'we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope' — as a key text for the whole book. How does she read this passage? What does she say the 'hope that does not disappoint' actually is?
2.She distinguishes between optimism (a temperamental expectation that things will improve) and Christian hope (a theological confidence rooted in the resurrection of Christ). How are these different? Why does the distinction matter, especially in seasons when optimism is not available?
3.Warren argues that Christian hope is specifically eschatological — it is oriented not just toward personal improvement but toward the resurrection of the body and the renewal of all creation. How familiar are you with this dimension of Christian hope? Does it feel concrete and motivating to you, or abstract and distant?